World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Wetlands provide significant economic, social and cultural benefits. They are important for primary products such as grasslands, timber and fish. Wetlands also help reduce the impacts from storm damage and flooding, maintain good water quality in rivers, recharge groundwater, store carbon, help stabilize climatic conditions and control pests.

Wetlands are home to many special plants, birds, fish and frogs. Wetlands provide essential habitat for rare or important species such as the endangered Spoonbill Sandpiper or the Baer’s Pochard. They are an important stopover for many migratory birds and many species rely on the regular flooding cycles of wetlands (such as those on inland floodplains) to reproduce. Some plants and animals live only in particular types of wetlands, for example, in mangroves, saltmarshes or hanging swamps.

We welcome you to join us on this important day for a talk by the Honorable Secretary of Birdwatchers Society of AP Mr. Shafaat Ulla.